Reading

Riding that long train.

/ Daniel/Codefreak / 3 Comments

Life has been a mixed bag for me here lately. I’ve been doing my best to find more positive things to think about when I’m so negative. I have not forgotten a dose of my medication in a while so my body’s been responding well. There’s only one big fear for me at the moment.

I’m moving in 30 days.

I’ve been beyond grateful for the past 8 months that people have been giving us a place to stay but now that is coming to a close. I personally can’t wait to have my own space and to be able to have a place that I can call my own not to worry or stress about anything that I do. All places I’ve stayed I have not made me feel unwelcome by any means, there’s always a certain level of stress of being able to be yourself and not be afraid to get in trouble for it.

It’s also going to be nice to have have all my stuff out of storage.

My wife went and bought me a couple books that I already own because she could not find them at the library. It’s tapped into a part of me that I’d forgotten. Just about forgotten how much I love to read. My nightstand in my old apartment was filled with 12 to 15 books at a time of all sorts of subjects. There is fantasy, sci-fi, historical books, devotions, comics, my Bible. All these half hazardly laid on my nightstand where I could pick them up at a moment’s notice and be able to dive into it Adventure or to find out more information about historical event that just fascinates me.

It was my escape at times.

I could stop worrying about me and worry about a fictional character. I knew most of the endings as I had read and reread most of the books in my library. And all these books have been locked away in storage. Leaving a hole in me.

One that I had not known I had been missing.

I have lost myself in those three books (The Dresden Files for those interested) for the last 2 days. I have not been that content with having something besides worry and stress occupy my mind.

I have a passion for reading.

And writing I suppose as I continue to write to you.

#hugapony my friends

#stuffedtherapy

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Stories

/ Daniel/Codefreak / Leave a comment

I love stories. I have been an avid reader from the age of 6. I can read a 800 page book I have never read before in a 4-6 hour sitting.

I READ.

Stories are captivating. They are a warm summer blanket to me. I get engrossed in the characters of a good book.

Sam and Frodo are my friends.

I hang out with Han and Luke.

My heart broke with Katniss and her sister.

Stories play across my mind like a movie only better. I can hear the people talking. I can smell the burning of a camp fire. I can feel the breeze brushing my cheek. I have a tendency to get too wrapped up in a story. More than once have I been reading and got “in too deep”

One time I was working the graveyard shift at a factory. Work was done, and I was waiting on the next truck to pull up. I sat down to read a novelized version of a Wolverine comic. About 40 minutes later, I was rudely interrupted by a coworker who almost pushed me out of my chair.  I turned and glared at him about to shout out obscenities with a vengeance. He looked at me and told me that he had been trying to get my attention for the past 5 minutes. He said my name several times and even shouted it. I looked around and saw my other coworkers looking at me with a kind of awe. It was explained to me that they had said my name several times repeatedly and that they finally had to push me to get me to snap out of my book.

I guess I get too much into my reading.

It has its drawbacks, this reading too deep and fast. I tear through books so fast, I run out of books to read. I also tend to reread the books I have read a few hundred times ( I wish I was exaggerating more than I am but it is true). Also, I tend to let my emotions take me for a roller coaster. I have been known to cry over a section of a book. Not because I felt bad, but because the character felt bad. This was not my emotion but it was affecting me!

With this, I came across a story (ish) that one of my favorite web comic artist wrote. The web comic is “xkcd”. It is a nerdy, high thinking web comic, lost of math and science.  I have enjoyed the artist’s works immensely with a few stand out favorites. I found a new one today that was quite enjoyable.

http://geekwagon.net/projects/xkcd1190/

Now what is interesting is that this comic is not just one comic but many, many comics put together like a flip-board. The pictures he paints are beautiful, even with just stick figures. With minimal flair and panache, he draws you in and uses such subtle details that you find yourself going back to see what you missed.

I love moments that make my heart stop. Joy and sorrow. Beauty and profound. All that make my mouth drop and my hair dance on my skin with goosebumps. Nothing will be better than a wonderful, glorious book/comic/story/song that fills me with wonder.

Snuggle a pony my friends. Read a book.